Steve Israel: A simple gesture seeks light in heart of darkness

A young Marine, without legs and with burns on his arms, sits in a wheelchair near Kevin Swanwick of Walden in the Tampa airport. They're both waiting to board a plane to Newark. On the back of the wheelchair is the insignia of the U.S. Marine Corps and these words: "Purple Heart Veteran."

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By Steve Israel

recordonline.com

By Steve Israel

Posted Oct. 12, 2012 at 2:00 AM

By Steve Israel

Posted Oct. 12, 2012 at 2:00 AM

» Social News

A young Marine, without legs and with burns on his arms, sits in a wheelchair near Kevin Swanwick of Walden in the Tampa airport. They're both waiting to board a plane to Newark. On the back of the wheelchair is the insignia of the U.S. Marine Corps and these words: "Purple Heart Veteran."

Even though the disabled Marine is sitting in coach, the flight attendant lets him board with the folks in first class, who see the veteran wheel himself onto the plane and take his seat in the first row of coach, behind first class.

When Swanick — also sitting in coach — boards, he looks at the folks who've filled first class and at the Marine seated behind them.

As he writes in his eloquent blog about this incident, he stops in front of first class, and says in a strong voice: "That kid belongs in first class, someone should give up his seat."

The flight attendant agrees and tells everyone that the Marine is just 23 years old. She also says, loud enough for everyone to hear, that she just knows Swanwick would give up his seat if he were in first class.

"Could (they) escape away into their iPhones and newspapers? Did they not at least momentarily reflect? Did no one at all feel compelled enough, even after some moments of uncomfortable soul searching, to simply get up out of his or her seat? Such a simple and utterly modest sacrifice ..."

When I first read these words, my reaction was swift.

Someone should have given up a seat to the veteran who gave so much for them.

But then I began thinking.

Would I have given up my first-class seat? Would I have asked those in first class to give up their seats? And would I have sought to find the brighter side of what Swanwick calls "Our Hearts of Darkness?"

That's what he did.

Perhaps, after the flight, the first-class passengers would reflect about the "silent young man with the Purple Heart (who) lives a life that is defined by sacrifice," Swanwick writes. "That when given the opportunity to make the most meager sacrifice for him ... they did nothing."

And then? "They would come to realize that they had made a terrible mistake."

He continues:

"... I have to believe that what is good in all of us only needs to be touched by awareness to make it operative in our lives, that our hearts of darkness can become hearts of light."

Can anyone doubt that Kevin Swanwick did the right thing — by asking for compassion, and then finding the light in darkness?

Does that mean we would all do it, too?

Should we? Would you?

To read the blog: http://swanwickmuse.blogspot.com/2012/09/our-hearts-of-darkness.html